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Kensington Wine Market and Gold Medal Marketing Raise $360 for the Children’s Hospital Aid Society

Posted on November 5, 2012

In early March Gold Medal Marketing launched a limited edition single cask Tullibardine in Alberta. The barrel was selected by owner and operator Andrew (Andy) Dunn, and bottled for his company. This in itself is not so unusual, many stores, clubs and some agencies in Alberta have selected and privately bottled casks (Kensington Wine Market alone has done over 20 of these to date). What makes it unique is that Andy decided to team up with the retailers who’d be selling it, and offered to donate $5 from each bottle purchased by a given store, to the charity of that store’s choice. I thought this was a great idea and Kensington Wine Market got on board early.

Cask # 627, a First Fill Sherry Hogshead from Tullibardine, was distilled in 1987 and bottled after 22 years at a natural cask strength of 58.3%. The back label of each of the bottles indicates it was bottled exclusively for Gold Medal Marketing and that a portion of the proceeds would be donated. 213 total bottles were released, and Kensington Wine Market committed to 72 of these. To date all but a dozen of these have sold. The whisky is of exceptional quality, very dark, rich and fruity. My tasting note:
My Tasting Note: Nose: very fruity, cinnamon and cardamom, tones of “goats milk white chocolate” (yes there is such a thing, see Epiphany at 1417B 11st SW in Calgary for more info) and raspberry jam; I also detect a twinge of mom’s rhubarb crumble; Palate: rich and spicy with ripe candied fruits; sticky toffee pudding, cinnamon, ginger, clove and more spices besides; is there an undertone of soft vanilla? The whisky is very nutty, with a rich sherry character; it is hard to tell if under all the layers of sweet, spice and oak whether there is an American oak influence to be found (Is this a straight sherry or a finish I wonder?), in the end I
suppose it doesn't matter, it is the journey that’s important, and I’m enjoying this one!  Finish: the finish is rich, smooth and sweet; candied fruits linger fading with hints of honey, soft spice and toasted oak; Comments: this is an excellent Tullibardine cask, the alcohol comes across a little strong at first, but settles down after a sip or two. Would a little water tame that down? I don’t know. Truth be told I was enjoying it too much straight to find out! - $145.99

Dianne Ferguson (CHAS), Andrew Ferguson (Kensington Wine Market), Dorothy Woslstencrot (CHAS) and Andrew "Andy" Dunn (Gold Medal Marketing)
Accordingly, Gold Medal Marketing has pledged to write a cheque to the charity of our choice, in this case, The Children’s Hospital Aid Society or CHAS. CHAS is the oldest charitable organization in the city of Calgary and its primary function is raising funds for the Children’s Hospital and related charities. This year funds...

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Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet Tasting Notes

Posted on November 5, 2012

As promised here are my tasting notes from the first of two sold out Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet tastings. We cracked the G&M Generations Glenlivet 1940 70 Year and G&M Private Collection 5 Decades bottlings. I hope you enjoy them!

Slainté!

Andrew

G&M Private Collection Glenlivet 1991 – 19 Year – 50.6% - Refill Sherry Hogshead – 259 Bottles Worldwide – 6 in Canada – KWM Exclusive – My Tasting Note: Nose: right away I am hit with a surge of white orchard fruits, apple and pear with white grape juice, liquid honey and graham wafers; soft toasted oak develops with warm white chocolate over berry fruits; very fresh, soft and fruity; Palate: very toasty and crisp with caramelized honey and lots of apples; Granny Smith apples, barely ripe pear and firm toasted oak; big vanilla and white chocolate with some ripe golden barley; orange and lime notes show late, especially dried orange peel; Finish: drying and toasty with some sweet barley and vanilla notes; Comments: a very fresh whisky with shades of both youth and maturity. - $202.99 *SOLD OUT – Only available as a part of the 5 Decade Set ($4999.99)

G&M Private Collection Glenlivet 1980 – 30 Year – 48.5% - Refill American Oak Hogshead – 117 Bottles Worldwide – Only 3 came to Canada. – KWM Exclusive – My Tasting Note: a little shy with some dark fruits and caramelized sugar; gently spiced oak, marzipan, chocolates, red berry fruits and sweet malt; as it warms it becomes much fruitier with cherries, fruit compote and Highland toffee; Palate: much sweeter, richer and darker in taste than the 1991; a flash of tropical fruits appear before the spices shove it aside; candied orange, buttery sherry oak, anise and floral spices; developing further, stewed  and candied fruits come to the fore along with sticky toffee pudding; Finish: long, light and spicy with burnt sugar; surprisingly the barley makes an appearance with dried oranges and other fruits; Comment: this one was a lot richer and darker than the 1991, even more so than I’d expected; a shame the cruel angels left the world but 117 bottles! - $496.99 *SOLD OUT – Only available as a part of the 5 Decade Set ($4999.99)

G&M Private Collection Glenlivet 1974 - 36 Years – 50.1% - First Fill Sherry Hogshead – 245 Bottles Worldwide – 6 in Canada – KWM Exclusive  - My Tasting Note: Nose: very nutty and dry with caramelized fruits poking their heads out from behind soft toasted oak; after some breathing the fruits come out: fruit salad and in particular mixed oranges; sugary chocolate, bee...

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Today's Cheeky Picks

Posted on November 5, 2012



Barrel Monkeys Shiraz, 2008 Australia

RedHeads Studio invites young winemakers to try their hand at making small batches of wine. Novice winemakers usually start as "Barrel Monkeys", moving hoses and barrels around, all part of the wine making process. “Barrel Monkeys Shiraz” is the fruit of such labor! A dark, almost opaque, red wine with a highly aromatic nose of sweet blackberry and plum. Concentrated, impressive flavors include blackberry, blueberry, mocha and espresso with a lingering spicy finish. Very cool label. $24.99

Yard Dog Red 2009, Australia

Check this one out! Offbeat Australian red made from Bordeaux grapes in unusual proportions: 55% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet  and 15% Merlot. Very dark garnet in color, it's almost black at the center, clear violet at the edge. Intense fruit aromas, blackberries, blueberries and plums. Yum factor is HIGH! $14.99

Yard Dog White, 2008 Australia

Yard Dog. The old faithful friend, our beloved household pet, the quintessential companion. Behold Yard Dog White! The fresh pear and apple of the Chardonnay (77%) and the lovely ripe fig of the Semillon (14%) set off nicely by the rose petal spice of the (9%)Gewürztraminer make this one pampered pooch of a wine. Just a great sip for these hot days. $14.99

The Bitch Grenache, Australia

Move over Fat Bastard, the Bitch is back! Noted winemaker Chris Ringland has done it again, crafting a Grenache that over-delivers, consistently scoring 90 with Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. Only the Aussies can get away with a big bold bitch of a wine, call it a bitch, and make it taste divine. BBQ heaven! $21.49




Mackinlay's Shackleton Replica

Here’s your chance to own a piece of history. Three crates of whisky had to be abandoned by Ernest Shackleton, the famous Antartic explorer, in the winter of 1907. He and his crew miraculously survived, the whisky did not until it was discovered, buried under the original hut 100 years later! The distillers, Whyte & MacKay, have painstakingly replicated Shackleton’s original stash. Only 180 bottles available in Alberta. Only at KWM. Call now to reserve yours.$194.99



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MacKinlay's Shackleton Whisky Tasting: Antarctic Whisky Reborn

Posted on November 5, 2012

More than 100 years ago Ernest Shackleton’s South Pole expedition chose to abandon 3 crates of MacKinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt to the frigid Antarctic climate. For more than 100 years the bottles lay forgotten, packed with straw in wooden crates under the expedition’s hut. Discovered by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust two of the bottles were given to the owners of the brand Whyte and MacKay. Their Master Blender Richard Patterson, “AKA the Nose” using meticulous sensory and chemical analysis has recreated the whisky’s profile, even going so far as to include whisky from the original distillery Glen Mhor which has been closed nearly 30 years. The whisky, in the words of expert Dave Broom is: “absolutely bang on,” and Malt Advocate Magazine has scored it 92/100 pts. In Alberta this interesting little dram is exclusive to the Kensington Wine Market!

To celebrate the launch the Kensington Wine Market is having a celebration at the store on Friday September 30th. Participants will be able to sample the whisky (MacKinlays Rare Old Highland Malt), will be treated to photos of Antarctic penguins by Dr. Jane Cameron, a short talk on Shackleton by local expert Susan Eaton and everyone will receive a special whisky glass created just for the event. The event will also be the Canadian launch of whiskies from the Fettercairn distillery. All this for just $30!

 

MacKinley's Shackleton Whisky Launch Friday September 30th - $30



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Welcome to the New Kensington Wine Market Blog

Posted on November 5, 2012

Dear Friend,

Welcome to the new Kensington Wine Market Blog. Over the next few weeks and months we will begin posting wine, beer and whisky tidbits for you to enjoy. You’ll still be able to receive the Wine Times, available by email, or by snail-mail, three times a year, as well as our electronic e-Newsletters: the Wineline, Malt Messenger and Brews News. Our new home for Kensgington Wine Market news, our “BLOG” is just another way for us to bring you more frequent KWM information. If we find an amazing new wine, beer or whisky to talk about, we want you to hear about it here, FAST!

For you convenience there is an RSS feed at the top of the page and you can scroll through past entries and even sort them by type: wine, beer or whisky. We have also added a twitter feed for the store @KensingtonWM and our prolific whisky expert @scotch_guy . The last three tweets from each account are displayed on this page, and you can navigate to the respective accounts. Finally, you’ll have the ability to submit comments on our postings, subject to review, of course. Our goal is to continue to grow, using the innovative technology of Twitter and Blogs to help us keep in touch with you as well as the growing community of wine, beer and whisky lovers. We hope you’ll come along with us!

Cheers!

Kensington Wine Market Blog Admin...

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